title: Echocardiographic assessment of myocardial function in workers occupationally exposed to lead without clinically evident heart disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate echocardiographic changes in workers occupationally exposed to low doses of lead.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 63 men occupationally exposed to lead into the study (group I). Unexposed group consisted of 49 healthy men (group II). Blood lead concentration (Pb-B) and blood zinc protoporphyrin concentration (ZnPP) were determined. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the studied groups, selected on the criterion of occupational exposure to lead, comparative analysis of echocardiographic parameters indicated statistically significant differences. A negative linear correlations between ZnPP and E' was observed in group I. It was proved that a higher concentration of ZnPP is independent risk factor of lowering the E' mean value in group I.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational exposure to low doses of lead is associated with the occurrence of discreet morphological and functional heart changes that in the future may predispose to disclosed pathology of heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 213, PL 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: sogood@poczta.onet.pl.
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poręba
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 213, PL 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gać
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Marcinkowskiego 1, PL 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poręba
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 213, PL 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011524:Protoporphyrins; C017803:zinc protoporphyrin; D007854:Lead
keywords: Echocardiography; Heart; Lead; Occupational exposure